they will soon put a surcharge on the oxygen they supply in the cabin.

I'm wondering what happens when you are stuck on a US Air plane on the ground for 8 hours due to "weather" or some other delay. Is it legal for US Air to deny water to the passangers in that type of situation?

When I originally heard this policy, I thought that they would have a pitcher of comped water and little bottle for all the passengers that were just too fancy for that.

I still think that would be the best solution.

Umm, you can circumvent the problem by bringing an empty water bottle through security, and filling it up at a water fountain. Just sayin'.

It just seems wrong that I can't bring anything liquid over 3oz, and now I am required to buy WATER (WATER, it's WATER) just to quench my thurst over a 3-4 hr period I am inside security and/or flying.

-Tim

How long until we hear about someone dieing because they refused to give them water to take some emergency heart medication or something?

Well charging for bottled water, such as from Aquafina or something isn't immoral. It's called normal. Now if they charge for TAP water, then that's a problem.

Then again an airplane doesn't have an unlimited amount of water. Storing water on the plane for use adds weight and they are probably filling the plane with less water to improve energy savings.

A surcharge for a safe landing is next.

@krispykrink:
Gonna go ahead and say a very, very long time. Airlines may be tight for cash, but they are not THAT stupid.

Free tap water (or whatever they make the coffee with)

Charge for bottled water

Problem Solved:)

Until US Airways gets a colonoscopy to remove their collective heads... bring empty bottles of water and fill them up once you get past security. That should help.

Do they have UNbottled water available free of charge? I was under the impression that all places offering food must offer regular water for free. Or maybe that's an urban legend.

Meg, brilliant second graf. Surely you were channeling Jack Nicholson.

I would hazard a guess that the water from the bathroom sink on a plane isn't necessarily certified as potable.

I can't believe our civilization has sunk so low that we have to have a poll about whether or not people should have access to water. What's next, they put a pillow over your face and suffocate you until you shell out for air?

Frankly, [drinking from the sink is] just not classy.

It's true! You are on a vending machine with wings! Show a little class!

Maybe you could get your doctor to write you a note: "My patient has a condition by which she requires water in order to live."

"I want a hot tea"
"You want a hot tea, sir"
"Yes. And a two glasses of ice"
"And two glasses of ice"
"Now I want you to take that teabag and just keep it on the cart"
"You want me to hold the bag of tea, sir?"
"...Yes. I'd like you to TAKE that bag of tea, hold it between your legs."

@basket548: Are you SERIOUS? Click below...

[consumerist.com]
[consumerist.com]
[consumerist.com]
[consumerist.com]
[consumerist.com]
[consumerist.com]
[consumerist.com]

Seriously. They ARE that stupid!

Am I the only person who sees the difference between a movie theater and an airplane. In that a movie theater has plumbing connecting it to the public water supply. As opposed to an airplane, which is, you know, in the air.

@farcedude: That's exactly what I was thinking. I usually do bring an empty bottle with me anyway and fill up at the nearest water fountain... :)

@basket548: The way I see it one of two things would happen:

1. An attendant on-board the flight will act and provide the water for free. Then get fired for violating policy.

2. The attendants adhere to policy and the person dies.

I think its great, the less people who fly the better for me. Raise the fares!!!!

If they sell food wouldn't they be considered a resteraunt and have to provide free water anyways? Tap vs. Bottled tis irrelevant, they have to provide some form of water.

@krispykrink: Dying because they were refused water, or dying because the person refused to pay for it? Personally, if I had to chose between death and paying two bucks for a bottle of water, I'll pay the two bucks. But that's just me.
I'm waiting for the airlines to stop messing around with these fees, and just charge per pound for everything the passenger wants transported, which would include the water.

Gonna have to say yeah, it's immoral. It's not soda or filet mignon they are charging for, but water. Water is a pretty basic necessity and is almost always in ready supply. You can't really go without water for a long long time without some consequences. I'm not saying you'll die, but you can get dehydrated, which in my case, is always a precursor to getting sick with the cold or flu or whathaveyou.

When we get on a plane, we're stuck there. The company providing the service has gone to great lengths to make sure it is very difficult to get on or off that plane. That's fine, perhaps it's necessary, but along with that comes the responsibility to provide certain basic staples that all humans need: A bathroom, and a little water. It's not difficult.

I like EIN2015's idea about bringing empty water bottles through security and then filling them from a water fountain. I think some form of water should be made available, especially if a person is on an airplane for more than an hour or two.

I'm sure there's someone with better knowledge of jetliner systems and features out there, but I'm not totally certain the lavatory water is necessarily potable.

Considering that you are basically held captive while on an airplane ..... you should be provided with the equivilant of tap water.

i know someone mentioned that "what if" of being held in delay for 8 hours. but what about the fact that one cross country flight is 8-9 hours?

next they'll be charging to use the bathroom...

I'm happy they are charging for water, snacks, extra luggage. I chose to fly light and bring my own drink and food if I want to. I'd rather not have the ticket price be raised in order to keep water and 100lbs of luggage free for all. The bottom line, in case anyone hasn't noticed, is that fuel prices have gone way up. Every ounce on the plane costs the airlines money. Airlines should charge by the pound like UPS. It will offend the willfully obese but is likely the only sustainable model for a business model that is increasingly based on the price of fuel.

@B: In a movie theater, I can leave at any time if I feel the need to consume a beverage. In a plane, I am captive with no alternatives and in some cases, held hostage on the ground, again with no ability to exit and obtain a beverage of my choice from a location of my choice.

To make the examples parallel, the movie theater would perform a seach of your belongings and a pat down when you entered to insure you did not bring a beverage. Then after entry, offer to sell you beverage for a very high price. When you entered the individual theater, you would be locked in for the duration of the movie, and at random times, for hours and hours longer, due to "technical difficulties" or "weather related delays".

@SadSam: I've been stuck on a plane for several hours due to a mechanical problem. It was NWA, not US Airways. We were offered the possibility of purchasing snack boxes at $5 a pop while they kept us on the plane - and kept us on there so long that the one food vendor in the small airport where we were parked closed for the evening.

@The Standard Deviant: THAT is the best clip! "I want you to hold it between your knees." LOL!

------

From the US Airways website: "Customer service has always been a priority at US Airways, and we are committed to making every flight count for our valued customers." I'm so disgusted that I'm reaching for a witty remark on this one.

@The Standard Deviant: LOL! Only if she also advises the flight attendant to take the teabag and hold it between her knees.

Seriously, it's ridiculous what the airlines are doing now. Charging for every checked bag, while they make the size requirements for carry-ons impossibly small; charging for water in an environment where you can't easily bring your own unless you pay for it in the terminal; charging for pillows/blankets/etc.; leaving people stranded on the runway for hours without relief; it just goes on and on. Christ on a crutch, just raise the ticket prices $10 and you can afford to serve frakking water again!!

It's kind of hard to believe that they're not obligated to provide some kind of water for free. I mean, you're stuck up there, in an environment where dehydration is much more likely than, say, sitting in a movie theater. You've paid hundreds of dollars for a ticket. And you get treated worse than livestock. This is why I no longer fly, EVER.

someone said it's not soda. i think that's the problem actually. if they sell some drinks and give others away they probably won't be able to sell that many. i'm just assuming more people would take the free drink than pay for a soda. i think their solution was to charge for everything just so we'd HAVE to buy something to prevent flyers from choosing the free water over the $1 soda.

either way, this is just ridiculous.

An airplane cannot deny water to those with a medical need. So it seems this puts the flight attendants in the position of vetting, passenger by passenger, each person's water request.

Passenger: May I have some water?
Attendant: Do you have a medical condition that makes consuming water a medical neccessary?
Passenger: No.
Attendant: That will be $2.00

rinse / lather / repeat

Plenty of water on the ground. Where I am. All the time. For a reason.

@prag: actually oil dropped like $20/barrel. so maybe they should reverse all the fees now.

maybe airports should now be required to give away free water bottles if the passengers have to bring necessities for living with them.

Why do you think the airlines haven't lobbied against the TSA regulations? Do you really think a multi-billion dollar industry like the airlines couldn't convince congress to fix the "security" fliers go through? Of course they could; they have plenty of lobbyists running around D.C. But by confiscating basic necessities for "security" reasons, consumers now get to pay for bottled water, food, ect.

On yesterday's consumerist story on airlines charging $7 for a blank and pillow, someone made the comment that the TSA would soon ban blankets and pillows for security reasons. That should get the Obvious Tag.

i have to make two flights later this year. this post = not taking us air. at least i don't need the blanket and pillow...

Just wait until someone dies on one of their planes because they're severely dehydrated and have some kind of medical condition but no $2 to buy water.

@ibored: We went to a restaurant that refused to give us water. They said it "didn't go with the food." We could only have sparkling mineral water, which I'm fine with, but my husband won't drink. We didn't go back and mocked their policy on my blog.

On an airline note, once an airline refused me kleenex when they sat me next to a dog (to which I am allergic), refused to move me, and triggered a spectacular allergy attack.

I don't mind pets on planes; this was shortly after they started allowing pets in the cabin, so I didn't know to have benadryl, and I was having other allergy problems that day. The allergies weren't their fault, and I prefer pets be allowed to fly in the cabin; it's safer. It was the REFUSAL TO PROVIDE KLEENEX WHEN I WAS A GIANT BALL OF SPRAYING SNOT that I object to.

@SkokieGuy: Ahh, I forgot to mention if the airlines are going to do this, we should be allowed to bring our own beverages onto the plane, since nobody's going to blow up a plane with a a bottle of water.

Considering you are probably the most captive audience there is when flying yes, they should be required to provide potable water without a charge.

The idea of being stuck on the tarmac for hours on end and then being denied or shook down for water is crazy.

There should definitely be a potable alternative that is free. They must have some kind of 'tapwater' because it wasn't always bottled water, was it?

By looking at the picture you're assuming they're not going to charge for using the restroom eventually.

I havnt flown since about 2003. Question... Are you still allowed to bring your own drinks or snacks on the flight?

They might get into trouble with the ADA. I'm diabetic. Being thirsty is a well-know side affect of diabetes. Also, what if someone needs to take a pill for their diabetes, heart, or whatever?